Lineal measuring device for elongated objects



Jan. 15, `1952 E. c. MCKEEVER LINEAL MEASURING DEVICE FOR ELONGATED OBJECTS Filed June e, 195o Patented Ja'n. 15, 1952 IJNEALMEASURING DEVICE Eon Y ELONGATED OBJECTSl I' v- Eloy. OfMcKeevei-.'Qes Molines, Iowa, assignor of one-half to Frank A. Dapolonia, Des .Moinea There are many materials which are of elon-A gated character and sold by llineal measure such as rope, hose, Romex cable or the likewFrequently, these elongated lobjects -arefstored on reels or in rolls. Because they are sostored.;`

they have a tendency to retain acurved.. shape,

particularly that portion which liesl near-the center of the reel or roll. This tendency to curl or remain curved makes it difficult to measure the length of these materials against a fiat ruler, yard stick or similarliat measuring device.A `In spite ofthe dimculty inso measuring these elongated materials; a flat or rigid measuring device of some kind against which-a length ofv thematerial is matched, comprises substantially the only technique for measuring these objectaat least at'the retail level. Because it is difficult to measure these objects in this mannenerrors frequently occur in the sale of rope, Romexlcable or the like. It` is even 'possible unlessjcareisr used that the purchaser maygetless than' he bargains for. In some instances wherea specific ylength; of i:naterial is necessar'yff. shrtag'e's very obvious and is apt to cause a` misunderstanding. and hard feelings.'v Such Ashortagesare' apt to cause loss of good will v'andfcustomers. "For reason, Aretailers usually feel compelled l to 'give their customers more footage than is" actuallyV purchased. vSuch practices naturally reduce lthe A margin of prot in selling "such yelongated materials as hose, rope and the like. "Evenl were it possible to make these measurements exact,

the objection to known techniques would still exist, i. e., it vis a slow and in terms'of time, a

costly methodor measuring. A 'method' of' meas- .urivng directly from the stored roll for example,

asV thematerial passed -a given point, would .be verytdesirable. therefor. Y

Furthermore this same diiculty `"exists .atVv a manufacturing level. Present manufacturing techniques for most of these elongated robjects is a continuous process of predetermined lengths cut as they are manufactured. It is particularly important, therefore, that the manufacturers of such objects have a method of,y continuuisly recording the length of the material jasl it flows fromv the automatic machine. Itwould bepossible to cut off long lengths and measure them after they have beenv removed fron;4 the machine, but it is particularly valuable frompa space `sav- Y ing :p'oint of viewto be abletoimmediately, roll the material onreels. A technique for measur- .ing the material directly as it flows from the machine, therefore, to determine how'much had .'zbeen. rolled on .any given roll, would .he par 'J'u'ries, 195o, serial No. 167,`15s Y claims. (Cl-2334,34)

`ticularly valuable. There are machines of a :sort vwhich so measure these elongated materials now, but because of their character, however, they areysubject to error. In one known case, the slippage'of the machine causes a measurement .error of approximately five feet in every 100.4 Although such a measuring error would not be important to most retailers, to a manufacturer who produces many thousands of feet of his product each year, an error of five per cent would represent a substantial loss in revenue.

All rof this type of item comes in a wide range of diameters, furthermore, which adds another problem to those-faced by an inventor of a machine for measuring these elongated objects. If such a measuring device could be constructed so that it could easily and quickly adapt itself to units .ofv vdifferent diameters, it would be particularly valuable. j

Y In View of all the problems and difficulties indicated above, therefore, it is the principal objectl of my invention to provide a device for the ,lineal measuring of elongated objects that will continuously and accurately measure them.

'Itv isa .further object of my invention to provide suchV a lineal measuring device for elongated Vobjects that will measure objects of various diameters. It is yet a further object of my invention to provide such a linealA measuring device forelongated objects that isjdurable in use and. inexpensive to manufacture.

Theseand other objects will be apparent to those skilled in thev art. l v

My invention consists in the construction, a1'- rangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth,

pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l isa top view of my lineal measuring de- .vice with a fragment of an elongated object shown as it would appear in passing through the device. A portion of the device is broken away to more fully illustrate its construction,

Fig,- 2 is a side view of my lineal measuring Kdevice taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Broken lines illustrate the floating character of the up- .per portion of the device and also show hidden v elements.

The divisions on the dial face and a portion of the operating handle are alsoshown Ain broken lines,

.Y Fig Y3 is a reduced -size cross-sectional View Y of `my lineal measuring device taken on the line 3-3 or Fig. 2.

, v.Referring to ,theldrawinga l1 have used the *designated 3D.'V

c numeral I to designate the base portion of and the wells I8 which serve as-a vguide-meansY for the auxiliary frame. The auxiliary iframe is composed of the brackets, I9 which have studs 2B and guide rods 2l which fit inT'slots and wells:

mentioned above. The brackets are securedtoegether by the handle assembly which comprises the vertical bars 22 that are secured to tha-auxeiliary'frame brackets in any appropriate manner.

as by the cap screws 23 or the like. Lifting rod;

handle 24 is rigidly secured to the tops of the fbars andextendsfbeyendlthe brackets toathiird vvertical barY designated 23d-that is fl-xedtoi-'the dial support -block-231'in any appropriate Amar-mer as by cap screw 21. 'Ihegu-ide rod r`28=extents downwardly from the supportblock1=26uand-is 25 embraced by the -well Y 29.1in the--dial-:guide-arm plainedunder heading -off operation. A disk designated v3`I is fastenedsto the shaft. 32 'fwhi'ch is-journaled in any appropriatefbearings-such as those designated- -3 3. The lbearings .33j are. rigidly vsecuredto thebracketsl 9; Lateral movementlnf beveled gear designatedv 35u is-.secured 'to'..the

shaft'which-extendsclear through to thefdilal support block f 2 6 Tlie counter mechanism com'i prises the dial 36 which hasQ beveled teeth'. 31

"formed on its-back side;Y is rotatably@ secured to 3|l hasapluralityof sharpenedfprojections1deso ignated 43 rigidlysecuredtheretofandextending radially therefrom. The purpose..of-:these-pointed projections Will becomeclear in: the discusf sion included under the:heading:cperation.`

In s operation, myl v device is-placed vradjacent to the, material to bemeasured. The? operator then Vlifts the auxiliary` frame by -means of-'a lifting rod 24 gwhi'ch separates-the 'guide14 pulley I and the disk'3l toepermitfthe-insertionv of an object to bemeasured; here illustratively shownv as Athe rope/44; The-weight of `the auxiliary framerandjcounting mechanism is 3 then allowed to carry the disk 'dow-n" against V'the material, thus clamping it between-fthe disk? and vthe guide pulley. The sharpened character of theI projections 43 'causes them'l to/--pierce the outer surface of `the-'material tobe`- measured insuringa non-slip -co-acticn--between the material-and-the disk. Themateral is then-drawn through vthe device 'either 'manuallyior-meclian- 'A ically which causes the disk Mete-rotate which supplies power -tothebeveledfgear 35l which-@en- Ygages the dial and causes-itto'rotatefasshownlin Fig. 2. HThe dial marking recordsthenumberbf 'lineal unitsof material whichhave passedthrcugh This-- structu-reoff the auxiliary fframepermits itY tomove-freely in -acvertical path; the signilcanceof|` which will bei 'ex- 410s-tion and arrangement of my lineal measuring device.l for.Y elongated objects and metlrod of mak"1 i 1g same' without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is myfintentionto cover by my claims, any modil'- ied-erms-cf structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included withinitherrseone.

I claim: l: a lineal measuring device for elongated objects, a base, armssrigidly secured to said base in-'sai spafcedaJ'relarcieri-'shipsy ands. extending vertically: therefrom; .az f .-.typef gui-dei; pulley mounted. between said arms; said; Vtypevguide pulleyfzbeing solely rotatably moveable with..v re- .spectztersaidaarmsr said-.farmsharing--. vertically arranged; wells therein; g Y and said: arms'V hav-ing crossesectiomallyy shaped. T-slotsvf; therein; said Tslots-,being .parallel to .1 and, entirely.' above ,f the 3metsrigidlyseeuredto said handle -inarspaced relationship. and .Y extending41 therefrom in. the ,same,-direction Iandfparallel to v.each other, guide rodsgrigidlyfsecured .to .the .lwer portion .of [each bracket;v said guiderods arranged; to sldably iengage .the `Wells of,I said arms, ,Tlguides extending;4 from' 'the sidesfof f said; brackets; said l T- guides` arranged ,to .sli'dably engagesaidT-slets, a..,d`1'sc mountedbetweengsaidjbrackets; sa'id jdisc beingsolly' rotatably moveable with/respect `to XAsaid brackets, andi means `on:V tire edgeA oir-'said discjior engagingA membersgingcontacvwitlr' said disc` edge t0. I prevent l.sliincnage 'between said" disc eds`e3and'a member incentacttherewith.`

2;n In; .a linear measuring deviceeforeelongated .c lc ieet's, agbase', Jarms rigidlysecuredto-,said base "ina spacedgrelationsnip and"extendingr vertically thererom, a .V-type guide pulley vmomited bel tween 'saidgarmm said-" V'typeguidepulley being solely rotatablyv "moveable with`rl respect# 'to isaid arms; `saidari'iis havn'gpvertically arranged wells allel'. tojand entirely'abbvef tlieswells insai-d-arms, parallelfto each-other, guide rods rigidlysecured 'tov 'said handle ."rod in-a spacedjelatioishi'pfland extending; therefrom/,mure same-direction ami a handle rodga pair "ofbi'ackets rigidly-secured to the lower 'portioireo'f' eachbifacketf; said-guide rods arrangedtoslidablyengage thewell's' lof'lsai'd armsf-Ieguides extending-from the-sidese Isaid oilbrack'ets; said T--fguides `arrangedto slidalgiIyengage said leslots; 'adisc-1inci-iii'ted'beflvefenz said brackets :fsaidiid-isc 'beingsolely rotatably-moveable; with respect to said bracketsgi "means-V. on

the edgeuof-Jsaid; disc #for engaging 'members in "Cv contactwitivsaiul disc vefigesanzii l' a member in 'con-tact;1 therewith; af bar rigidlyfsecured :to -said handle rod andextendingftherefrcmnin: the-same directioneassaidbrackets iin-#La spaced relationshipfvandllparallel thereto; blockfsecured tofthe 3. Inadneal:lmeasurmgdevce forfeiongatq objects, a base, arms rigidly secured to said base in a spaced relationship and extending vertically therefrom, a V-type guide pulley mounted between said arms; said V-type guide pulley being solely rotatably moveable with respect to said arms; said arms having vertically arranged wells therein; and said arms having cross-sectionally shaped T-slots therein; said T-sclots being parallel to and entirely above the well-s in said arms, a handle rod, a pair of brackets rigidly secured to said handle rod in a spaced relationship and extending therefrom in the same direction and parallel to each other, guide rods rigidly secured to the lower portion of each bracket; said guide rods arranged to slidably engage the wells of said arms, T-guides extending from the sides of said brackets; said T-guides arranged to slidably engage said. T-slots, a disc mounted between said brackets; said disc being solely rotatably moveable with respect to said brackets, means on the 20 handle rod and extending therefrom in the same direction as said brackets in a spaced relationship and parallel thereto. a block secured to the lower end of said bar, a pointer iixed to said block, a dial rotatably secured to said block and having its edge adjacent said pointer, a hollow pillar .extending verticaly from said base from a point directly below said block, and an elongated .member rigidly secured to said block and extending straight downwardly therefrom; said elongated member slidably fitting within said hollow pillar.

ELOY C. MCKEEVER..

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the .le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,038,797 Sommerfleld Sept. 17, 1912 1,162,752 Colley Dec. 7, 1915 1,225,223 Davis May 8, 1917 

